Business Analytics

NEW YORK — Macy’s chairman, president and CEO is walking on air these days as the nation’s leading department store chain continues to deliver impressive results amid a recessionary economy that has other operators floundering for sales.

CITY OF COMMERCE, Calif. — 99 Cents Only Stores reported that its consolidated net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 was $17.7 million, or 25 cents per diluted share, compared with $16.8 million, or 24 cents per diluted share, for the prior year.

Reston, Va. -- Online U.S. retail spending in second quarter 2011 reached $37.5 billion for the quarter, up 14% versus year ago, comScore reported Monday. This growth rate represented the seventh consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth and third consecutive quarter of double-digit growth rates.

Costco and BJ’s Wholesale Club continue to produce solid sales growth aided by high gas prices, shoppers desire to save money and their ability to pass through food price inflations.

New York City -- Sally Beauty Holdings on Thursday said that its fiscal third-quarter profit increased 68% as sales rose while it held its expenses in line.

The beauty retailer posted net income of $69.1 million for the three months ended June 30, compared with $41.1 million a year earlier. Revenue rose 13% to $837 million.

Sales at Sally Beauty Supply stores rose 11% to $517.2 million. Same-store sales gained 6.1%. The division had 3,123 stores at the end of the quarter.

CINCINNATI, MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis., and PLANO, Texas — Macy’s emerged as the big winner among department-store retailers this July, reporting sales growth that exceeded expectations. JCPenney also faired well for July, while Kohl’s sales disappointed. 

Macy’s Inc. reported total sales of $1.6 billion for the four weeks ended July 30, an increase of 5% compared with total sales of $1.525 billion in the four weeks ended July 31, 2010. On a same-store basis, Macy’s Inc. sales were up 5% in July.

Little reason to believe Sam’s Club won’t easily meet or possibly exceed second-quarter same-store guidance that calls for an increase of 3% to 5%, following reports this week from Costco and BJ’s Wholesale club. Sam’s results correlate closely to its warehouse club rivals, and they both reported solid gains even after excluding the distorting effect of higher year-over-year gas prices.

New York City -- CVS Caremark said Thursday its profit dipped 1% in the second quarter to $816 million as its pharmacy benefits management business weathered lower prices on contract renewals. Revenue rose 11% to $26.63 billion from $24.01 billion.

Revenue from CVS drugstores increased 3.6% to $14.83 billion. Same-store sales were up 2%, with pharmacy sales up 2.6%  and front-end revenue up 0.8%.

CVS opened 41 stores during the second quarter and operated 7,266 retail drugstores at the end of the period.